Longboard Cruising is a fun and effective skating method to explore your local area or country roads, villages, towns and cities you visit.
Few moves are required. The technique is simple, ride, relax, observe and enjoy the scenery as you go. No need for high speeds downhill, fancy moves or scary tricks. Just push, ride, steer and brake when necessary.
Cruising is also an efficient and environmentally friendly method of commuting. Some even use Longboards to commute, covering long distances daily.
Longboard Cruising is also the most straightforward discipline of Longboarding to learn, no matter your age (as long as you have a reasonable level of fitness), and most get very good in a short space of time.
Sounds good? You need a Cruising Longboard.
The first thing to establish before going out and buying one is the style of cruising you’ll be doing most of.
Cruising Styles
When it comes to Longboard Cruising in the UK, it can be broken down into three styles. Your preferred style should influence the Longboard you buy.
Laidback Cruising
Laidback Cruising involves riding long paths, such as in parks or the seafront and maybe even quiet countryside roads.
The style is relaxed with pushing and gentle turns. For this style of Longboarding, a long Pintail of between 40″-46″ is recommended.
The deck will be flat with plenty of foot space, a soft to medium flex that’s easy on the joints, and large wheels ensure a smooth ride.
Pintails are bigger and heavier than Longboards used for Urban cruising or commuting.
However, this shouldn’t be an issue as the deck will be on the ground most of the time and the easy fit in a car boot if you drive to the location.
Urban Cruising
Urban Cruising involves navigating your town or city, tight turns, regular pushing and breaking along with some jumps on and off pavements and other obstacles are required.
Before undertaking urban cruising, it’s best to hone your skills in less crowded areas first, as you have to share pavements, cars and even roads with other users.
Shorter stiffer longboards of between 36″38″ with a kicktail are best for urban cruising. The stiffer deck combined with the kicktail is more responsive, allowing for quicker turns, jumps and manoeuvres.
In addition, smaller, harder wheels are fitted to compliment this riding style. The shorter length ensures you’re less likely to touch people or obstacles with your Longboard.
The smaller deck is easy to pick up and carry, handy if part of your journey involves crossing roads, bridges, bustling areas or using public transport. However, a shorter, stiffer deck is harder on the joints; you’ll feel bumps more and consume more energy.
Commute Cruising
Longboarding is a highly viable commuting method for getting to and from your place of work or education daily. As you may be travelling long distances before performing at work for a day, energy conservation is key.
You want the maximum return for each push and a comfortable ride; therefore, a dropdown style longboard is recommended. Dropdown longboards position the rider lower to the ground, so each push with the leg and foot results in more distance.
Dropdowns are incredibly stable. The low centre of gravity allows the rider to lean forward somewhat, a good technique for maintaining momentum, going further while expending less energy.
Dropdowns are not the best type of deck for turning, which isn’t an issue with commuting as travelling in as straight a line as possible is best for getting from A-B, only taking smooth, gradual turns when needed.
Bigger wheels combined with fast bearings roll further with each push and maintain their speed. They also transverse the ground smoothly, even on rough surfaces.
A drop through Longboard where the trucks are fitted through the deck bringing it closer to the ground, is a good compromise between a dropdown and a pintail.
A drop-through, the dropdown deck, will be the closest to the ground, the most push friendly type of deck. A commuter deck has a soft to medium flex, which acts as a shock absorber is over 40 inches long with ample deck space for foot comfort.
Pintail Cruising Longboards
Pintail Cruising longboards that are ideal for laidback fun cruising include
Two Bare Feet Chad
The Chad by Two Bare Feet is a classic looking surf-inspired Pintail fitted with large (70mm) soft (78A) wheels and high rebound bushings for a very smooth ride.
The decks are constructed from 8-ply bamboo and maple for a medium flex measures 42″ and has a mild concave with a flat rocker. Perfect for leisurely cruising.
Zed Cruiser
The Zed Cruiser by Retrospec has an extra-wide 44″ long deck constructed from Canadian maple and bamboo, giving a nice flex.
Fitted with soft 70mm wheels which absorb all the ups and downs as you ride. A kicktail also features enabling sharper than usual turning.
Landyachtz Pinner
The Pinner is a Landyachtz classic with a 44″ flexible maple and bamboo constructed deck combined with a large wheelbase and big soft wheels that ensure a very smooth cruise.
Urban Cruising Longboards
Urban Cruising Longboards are shorter and stiffer for sharper, more responsive moves, turns and braking.
Globe All Time
The Globe All Time is a pintail with a kick for sharper turns while cruising.
Constructed from resin-8 hard rock maple, the deck is under 36″ long and features a mellow concave.
Fitted with slant reverse kingpin trucks and lower diameter 65mm 78a wheels.
Osprey Helix
A flexible 36″ 7-ply maple flat pintail cruiser ideal for navigating the streets. Fitted with 65mm PU cast wheels and ABEC7 chrome bearings for fast yet smooth acceleration.
Quest Totem Cruiser
The quest totem cruiser is a lightweight and flexible urban cruising longboard with a kicktail.
36″ in length and is fitted with 65mm 80A wheels, 4mm riser pads, ABEC7 carbon bearings and extra grippy tape.
Commuting Longboards
Lengthier dropdown Longboards with large softer wheels are ideal for commuting and riding long distances.
Ten Toes Dropdown
A symmetrical drop-down Longboard that’s easy to push and remains stable at high speeds.
Includes a 41″ Canadian Maple Deckfitted with 180mm reverse kingpin trucks, ABEC9 bearings and 70mm 85a PU wheels.
Paradise Mermaid
The Paradise Mermaid is a classic dropdown longboard with generous dimensions of 41.25″ x 9.75″ and a Medium-stiff flex 10-ply maple deck.
Fitted with large 76mm bigfoot wheels, sturdy aluminium trucks, and ABEC7 bearings.
Z-Flex Drop through
The Z-Flex Drop through is ideal for commuters who want more height than a dropdown with more responsiveness than a pintail.
A concave, 7 layer medium flex 41.5″ deck fitted with 45 degrees 180mm reversed trucks and smaller, harder 69mm 83A wheels.